What does a restaurant server do?
Also called food servers, restaurant servers perform food preparation, cleaning duties, and customer service in casual dining eateries and restaurants. The food servers stock supplies, handle credit cards and the cash register, and clean restaurant counters and tables. They provide assistance to restaurant patrons to take orders, deliver food, and answer customer questions. The skills they need include trustworthiness, organization, customer relations, and communication skills.
Restaurant server responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real restaurant server resumes:
- Demonstrate adequate culinary and Italian wine knowledge through suggestive selling.
- Input orders in micros and issue guest check for each order.
- Prepare the groceries for the customer in their request baggage handing.3.
- Maintain clean, sanitize FOH area and ensure health & safety and hygiene procedures and standards are meet.
- Work with operations manager in ordering and setting up all FOH systems need in opening a new restaurant.
- Provide thorough knowledge of the restaurant's menu to make recommendations or answer questions, and enter POS charges.
- Communicate with kitchen and guests regarding menu questions, food allergies, length of wait, and special requests.
- Operate POS systems to itemize and total guest's checks, accept payment, and provide correct change when applicable.
- Shift leading also involve setting a good leadership example and responsibility.
- Maintain restaurant cleanliness and sanitation according to company guidelines and government standards.
- Communicate effectively with kitchen staff regarding customer allergies, or other special needs.
- Establish and maintain excellent client relationships, often providing recommendations on wine and food combinations.
- Serve meals and work in all BOH positions.
- Train on opening management duties in BOH regarding from prep lists, line checks, and other reports.
- Demonstrate effective leadership skills while working collaboratively with owner and other managers to evaluate needs of restaurant.
Restaurant server skills and personality traits
We calculated that 28% of Restaurant Servers are proficient in Wine, Exceptional Dining, and Guest Satisfaction. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Communication skills, and Customer-service skills.
We break down the percentage of Restaurant Servers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Wine, 28%
Established and maintained excellent client relationships, often providing recommendations on wine and food combinations.
- Exceptional Dining, 6%
Focused on customer service and providing an exceptional dining experience.
- Guest Satisfaction, 5%
Trained in hospitality guest relations, conflict resolution and guest satisfaction.
- Cleanliness, 5%
Maintained restaurant cleanliness and sanitation according to company guidelines and government standards.
- POS, 5%
Entered customer order information with proprietary point of sale (POS) software called Micros for in-person and take-out orders.
- Food Service, 5%
Performed all service duties including order taking, food service, check cash-out and customer service.
"wine," "exceptional dining," and "guest satisfaction" are among the most common skills that restaurant servers use at work. You can find even more restaurant server responsibilities below, including:
Detail oriented. One of the key soft skills for a restaurant server to have is detail oriented. You can see how this relates to what restaurant servers do because "waiters and waitresses must record customers’ orders accurately." Additionally, a restaurant server resume shows how restaurant servers use detail oriented: "demonstrate attention to detail and ability to multi-task through handling orders from multiple customers and accurately entering into computer system. "
Communication skills. Many restaurant server duties rely on communication skills. "waiters and waitresses must listen to customers, ask questions as needed, and relay information to the kitchen staff so that orders are prepared to the customers’ satisfaction.," so a restaurant server will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways restaurant server responsibilities rely on communication skills: "practiced punctuality, customer service, communication, improvisation and problem solving skills. "
Customer-service skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of restaurant servers is customer-service skills. This skill is critical to many everyday restaurant server duties, as "waiters and waitresses are frontline workers for their restaurant." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provide restaurant guests with the most pleasant and memorable dining experience through menu knowledge and excellent customer service. "
Physical stamina. restaurant server responsibilities often require "physical stamina." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "waiters and waitresses spend most of their work hours standing or walking and carrying trays, dishes, and drinks." This resume example shows what restaurant servers do with physical stamina on a typical day: "fast-paced, busy, high volume and maintain physical stamina. "
Physical strength. Another crucial skill for a restaurant server to carry out their responsibilities is "physical strength." A big part of what restaurant servers relies on this skill, since "waiters and waitresses need to be able to lift and carry trays of food or other items." How this skill relates to restaurant server duties can be seen in an example from a restaurant server resume snippet: "recorded transaction in micros system at time of order and presented physical and accurate check to guest and process payment. "
The three companies that hire the most restaurant servers are:
- Boston Market
825 restaurant servers jobs
- Great Wolf Resorts251 restaurant servers jobs
- Aimbridge Hospitality230 restaurant servers jobs
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Compare different restaurant servers
Restaurant server vs. Waitress
Waitresses are responsible for ensuring that guests are given proper attention during their visit to the restaurant. They guide guests to their table, provide menu boards, answer any questions the guests may have, take the guests' order, and communicate the order to the kitchen. Once the order is ready, waitresses collect the food from the kitchen and serve it to the guests. They then give guests time to finish their meal. Upon the guests' request, waitresses bring them their bill and wait for them to finish paying up. Once the guests leave, waitresses are responsible for ensuring that the table is ready for the next guests.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, restaurant server responsibilities require skills like "wine," "kids," "exceptional dining," and "cleanliness." Meanwhile a typical waitress has skills in areas such as "waiter," "bus tables," "food stations," and "customers food." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Waitresses earn the highest salaries when working in the hospitality industry, with an average yearly salary of $25,414. On the other hand, restaurant servers are paid more in the agriculture industry with an average salary of $26,207.On average, waitresses reach similar levels of education than restaurant servers. Waitresses are 1.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Restaurant server vs. Hostess
Hostesses are responsible for managing guests who come to the restaurant. They greet guests, ensure that the guests have tables ready before letting them into the restaurant floor, guide the guests to their assigned tables, and introduce the guests to the waiter assigned to the table. Hostesses also manage the reservation list, often manning the restaurant's reservation hotline. They also control the entry of guests, answer any query that guests may have, and take note of any special requests. Hostesses ensure that guests have the best possible restaurant experience.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real restaurant server resumes. While restaurant server responsibilities can utilize skills like "wine," "kids," "cleanliness," and "food service," hostesses use skills like "bus tables," "telephone calls," "ensure cleanliness," and "front desk."
Hostesses may earn a higher salary than restaurant servers, but hostesses earn the most pay in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $26,739. On the other hand, restaurant servers receive higher pay in the agriculture industry, where they earn an average salary of $26,207.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Hostesses tend to reach similar levels of education than restaurant servers. In fact, they're 1.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Restaurant server vs. Waitstaff
The waitstaff takes responsibility for tasks like recommending dishes based on the tastes and preferences of guests, accepting payments, and taking orders. Waitstaff delivers food to tables, ensures outstanding guest experience, and accepts payments. They work with diligence to get outstanding service quality and work with the other staff. It is part of their job to show customers their seats and provide menu options. They attend to tables for food service and guarantee cleanliness standard compliance.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from restaurant server resumes include skills like "kids," "cash handling," "basic math," and "bars," whereas a waitstaff is more likely to list skills in "team work," "meal orders," "good communication," and "bus tables. "
Waitstaffs make a very good living in the health care industry with an average annual salary of $26,991. On the other hand, restaurant servers are paid the highest salary in the agriculture industry, with average annual pay of $26,207.waitstaffs typically earn similar educational levels compared to restaurant servers. Specifically, they're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Restaurant server vs. Server and hostess
A server and hostess is an employee who plays the dual role of both a hostess and a server. As implied by this, a server and hostess is in-charge of welcoming guests as they enter the restaurant, ensuring that the guests' tables are ready before leading them to their assigned tables, handing over the menu, and waiting for the guests to finalize their order. Once the guests are ready to order, the server and hostess takes on the server role by bringing the guests' order to the kitchen, waiting for the food to be ready, and bringing the food to the guests' table.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between restaurant servers and server and hostesses, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a restaurant server might have more use for skills like "wine," "kids," "exceptional dining," and "cleanliness." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of server and hostesses require skills like "bus tables," "telephone calls," "ice cream," and "cash drawers. "
The hospitality industry tends to pay the highest salaries for server and hostesses, with average annual pay of $26,585. Comparatively, the highest restaurant server annual salary comes from the agriculture industry.server and hostesses reach similar levels of education compared to restaurant servers, in general. The difference is that they're 1.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of restaurant server
Updated January 8, 2025
